Written and edited by Norm Scott:
EDUCATE! ORGANIZE!! MOBILIZE!!!
Three pillars of The Resistance – providing information on current ed issues, organizing activities around fighting for public education in NYC and beyond and exposing the motives behind the education deformers. We link up with bands of resisters. Nothing will change unless WE ALL GET INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

UPDATED LIST OF CO-LOCO REVERSALS and APPROVALS

As a follow-up to my last post (Moskowitz, NY Post, Charter - er Chalkbeat Try to Reverse Mayoral Election)
here is the update from Farina. Good news is Eva is gone from her downtown beachhead at Bergtraum. And watch the Post scream about this one which they, probably tipped off, have been doing for days over that credit recovery sham with attacks on de Blasio over keeping failed schools open. Not that that program didn't come under the Bloomberg admin, but why would the Post bring that up?

What about the Eva bastions in Bensonhurst and Mill Basin? Politicians were screaming about it. I guess since Dominick Recchia got Dewey - his alma mata -- off the list he abandoned Seth Low? And what about the slugs at Coney Island prep who were slammed at the PEP hearings?

Good news on the PS 84K expansion to K-8 -- Eva is right down about 2 blocks occupying a middle school and competing directly with PS 84. This should help, especially if Eva is blocked from expanding that school to grade 8.

Dear Community Members,

We are committed to engaging more meaningfully with
our school communities—nothing is more important than involving
families in decisions affecting their children’s education. I am writing
to share our process for reviewing the 49 space-sharing
proposals that were approved last fall.

The previous administration handed over these
proposals—and we have had to review all of them under inflexible
deadlines. While the circumstances for each proposal are unique, we
identified clear criteria and we followed it. But more importantly,
as enrollment deadlines approach, we considered the thousands of
families that could be affected. We were deliberate in our decisions
and, under the circumstances we inherited, believe this is the best
approach.

If there is one thing school communities should
know, it’s this: we are going to do things differently. Today, we are
turning the page on the approach of the past. We are going to listen and
be responsive like never before, and that will
be reflected in everything we do.

First, we do not believe new elementary schools
should be opened on high school campuses. While there are examples where
it can be effective, overall we have heard concerns from high school
communities, as well as elementary level ones,
about this practice. We believe high school campuses should serve high
school students. On high school campuses, if we have several schools
together, we can encourage them to share resources such as AP classes or
a library.

Second, we want to ensure that all new schools have
the resources they need to provide the services students deserve. Very
small schools—under 250 students—may have difficulty providing the range
of support needed to serve students effectively.

Third, we considered construction. We looked
closely at proposals that would have depended on significant capital
work to create space for the co-location, or those that required
substantial dislocation to the existing schools within a
building.

Last, we considered District 75 capacity. We will not reduce seats for these students.

When making these decisions, we considered
families. We have many deadlines coming up—in sum, these 2014 proposals
have an impact on up to roughly 4,500 students going through upcoming
enrollment processes. With Round Two of middle and
high school admissions approaching, rescinding many or all of these
proposals would mean that students would be limited in their second
round options. We aimed to be minimally disruptive to those existing
processes and the families going through them.

Of the 49 proposals from
last fall, we are sharing our decisions on 45 of them, all of which are
for 2014 implementation. There were four proposals approved for 2015,
and we are deferring any decision on these at
the moment because the needs of the communities between now and the
2015 school-year may change. We want to listen to community concerns as
2015 draws closer.

Of the 45 that we have
decided on, we are withdrawing nine proposals and revising one. In line
with the lens through which we reviewed the proposals, we are proposing
alternative locations to open three of the schools
whose proposals we have withdrawn in order to provide better building
matches. Here is the list of withdrawals:

84M386

M

Co-location of grades 5-8 of SA - Harlem 4 @ M149

Re-siting and grade reconfiguration

04M204

M

Opening of a New District Middle School 04M204 @ M096

New School

04M964

M

Expansion of CPE II from current K-5 to K-8 and Co-location @ Bldg M013

Grade Reconfiguration

16K762

K

Opening of New District Middle School 16K762 @ K335

New School

84MTBD

M

Opening of Success Academy - NY 1 K-4 @ M520/Murry Bergtraum

New School

84QTBD

Q

Opening of Success Academy - New York 5 @ Q400

New School

01M203

M

Opening of a New 9-14 CTE High School 01M203 @ M446

New School

21K768

K

Opening of New District High School @ K540/Dewey

New School

30Q335

Q

Enrollment Reduction of LIC and Opening of New District CTE High School @ Q452/LIC

New School

From the nine proposals
that will be withdrawn, we are able to propose better building matches
for three of those schools, which will be described in two educational
impact statements.

We will propose opening a 9-14 high school –
previously proposed for the University Neighborhood High School – and a
Career and Technical Education high school – previously proposed for
Long Island City High School – at the Murry Bergtraum
campus. If approved, that means that campus will serve only high school
grades. We also propose to open a district high school on the August
Martin Campus, which was originally slated to open on the Dewey Campus.

In addition, we will revise a proposal regarding
American Dream Charter School. Rather than opening four sections per
grade at building X030 in the Bronx, we are proposing that it open three
to better fit the space available.

As you may know, we are initiating a new,
meaningful engagement process. The buildings of the above-described
proposals will receive walk-throughs from senior DOE leadership, the
principal, and the SLT. We will also consult with the school
community significantly - the engagement process for these proposals is
going to look very different than it has in the past.

For the 35 proposals that will be implemented, we
will host a meeting for each school community to discuss next steps,
listen to, and engage with parents and educators.

Let me know if you have questions and I appreciate all that you do.

Best,

Carmen Fariña

Chancellor

ortantly, as enrollment deadlines approach, we considered the thousands of
families that could be affected. We were deliberate in our decisions and,
under the circumstances we inherited, believe this is the best approach.”

“If
there is one thing school communities should know, it’s this: we’re going to do
things differently. Today, we are turning the page on the approach of the past.
We are going to listen and be responsive like never before, and that will be
reflected in everything we do.”

Borough

Proposal
Title

Type

Year of
Impl.

Status

M

Opening and Co-location of a New 9-14 CTE High School
01M203 @ M446

New
School

2014

Withdraw

K

Opening and Co-location of New District High School @
K540/Dewey

New
School

2014

Withdraw

Q

TER of LIC and Opening and Co-location of New District
CTE High School 30Q335 @ Q452/LIC

New
School

2014

Withdraw

M

Co-location of grades 5-8 of SA - Harlem 4 @
M149

Re-siting and
grade reconfiguration

2014

Withdraw

M

Opening and Co-location of a New District Middle School
04M204 @ M096

New
School

2014

Withdraw

M

Expansion of CPE II from current K-5 to K-8 and
Co-location @ Bldg M013

1 comment:

We are very happy that Dewey HS was taken off however, we are very disappointed in the decision to go forward with Seth Low and Cavallaro's Co-Location. Even though this decision was made, we are not finished with this fight. We will come together as a community along with CEC 20 with our elected officials, to demand that our parents voices be heard. -Community Education Council District 21 Brooklyn, NY

Comments are welcome. Irrelevant and abusive comments will be deleted, as will all commercial links. Comment moderation is on, so if your comment does not appear it is because I have not been at my computer (I do not do cell phone moderating).

UFT Election Vote Comparison: 2004-10

A Personal Historical Perspective

Why Karen Lewis Reads Ed Notes

"A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford

What media call "philanthropy" for the public schools are actually seed monies to establish a private "market" in publicly-financed education - an enterprise worth trillions if successfully penetrated by corporate America. Cory Booker, one of the "New Black Leaders" financed by the filthy rich, is key to creating a "nationwide corporate-managed schools network paid for by public funds but run by private managers.

"Ed Reformers" want to cash in on public education and to control its content and outcome, not improve it. Provide great education? Baby boomers had as close as this country has ever gotten to it when we were growing up. The Ed Reform Movement has no interest in seeing such a well-educated, democratically astute population ever again.

History of the UFT Pre-Weingarten Years

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Naturally, from a certain point of view. But, despite certain biases, Schierenbeck, a great guy, was one of the best NY Teacher reporters so this is worth reading. Jack suffered a debilitating stroke many years ago (I used to get secret donations to ed notes from him through a 3rd source.)

“The schism in the union over radical politics [is] a major reason for stalling the growth of a teacher union for decades.” Revolutionary politics and ideology take center stage, as the original Teachers Union becomes a battlefield, pitting leftist against leftist and splitting the union.

Clarence Taylor's "Reds at the Blackboard" focused on the old Teachers Union which disbanded in 1964 after suffering from anti-left attacks.

Effective Union Organizing

A video series put together by Jason Mann from the British Columbia Federation of Teachers about social media and how to use it for effective union organizing.

The first series was called New Media For Union Activists Roadmap and it's still available on-line at:http://www.newmediabootcamp.ca/welcome/I watched some of them and need to rewatch as they are loaded with information.

The second series started last week and it's called "Online Campaigning for Union Activists"

You Don't Have A Choice - Join the Revolt

Hedges says, There are no excuses left. Either you join the revolt taking place on Wall Street and in the financial districts of other cities across the country or you stand on the wrong side of history.

Ex-Harlem Success Teacher Comments on Eva the Diva

I am a former Harlem Success teacher. Not many people who work/worked for her like her very much. I once made the comment that she is very nice when I first was hired. Two of her closest colleague responded immediately almost in unison, "Eve is not nice!" Over time I realized that there was a lot of political games going on. Another colleague once said to me that he was tired of "being part of a political campaign." Sending out 15,000 applications for only 400 seats in a school is reprehensible. The money that paid for those mass mailings could have paid the yearly salary of another teacher not to mention the heartache of all those parents who applied but did not get a spot. She does good work trying to give disadvantaged students a quality public school education but at a great cost to staff AND the school's educational budget! school budget.

GEM's Julie Cavanagh Debates E4E member on NY1 on LIFO and Seniority

Davis Guggenheim Compared to Riefenstahl

“Waiting for Superman" is the second most intellectually dishonest piece of documentary work I have seen. It is surpassed only by Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will," the pro-Hitler propaganda classic, in that regard. Uses personal narratives of adorable children to create narrative suspense that overrides public policy discussion with pure emotion in unscrupulous attack on teachers and their unions, among others

Timothy TysonProfessor of African American Studies and HistoryDuke University

A Familiar Voice on Unions

"We must close union offices, confiscate their money and put their leaders in prison. We must reduce workers salaries and take away their right to strike"- Adolf Hitler, May 2, 1933

How Teaching Experience Makes a Difference

Even as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee and others around the nation are arguing for experienced teachers to be laid off regardless of seniority, every single study shows teaching experience matters. In fact, the only two observable factors that have been found consistently to lead to higher student achievement are class size and teacher experience, so that it’s ironic that these same individuals are trying to undermine both.- Leonie Haimson on Parents Across America web site

Outsource our children

Weingarten/Gates Foundation announce drone-driven teacher evaluation

According to a press release issued by the Gates Foundation, the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, these three have entered a ground-breaking partnership to evaluate teachers utilizing the drone technology that has revolutionized warfare in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. A bird-size device floats up to 400 feet above a classroom and instantly beams live video of teachers in action to agents at desks at Teacher Quality Inspection Stations established by the AFT and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

When asked if the drones were authorized to drop bombs on teachers who exhibit inadequacy, Chester E. Finn, Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, replied, "Don't be ridiculous. Gates money puts other methods at our disposal."

Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million-member American Federation of Teachers said the powerful union has signed on to the drone project...

Teacher Value-Added Data Dumping by Norm Scott

The Real Reason Behind Push for Standardized Tests: It's All About the Adults

On standardized testing in our schools

A must read article about the standardized test industry.Written by an insider who has worked as a test scorer, the article outlines a multinational industry based on an army of temporary workers paid by the piece at $0.30 to $0.70 per test, translated in the need to grade 40 tests per hour to make a $12 salary. The article goes on to show how the companies gauge the grading "results" based on the need to ensure new contracts to continue profiting off of our youth. The original article is from Monthly Review. Here it is on Schools Matter blog.

From Sharon Higgins

Parallels between America today and Germany in the 1920's and early 30's

"Resentment and obstruction are all the right wing in America have to peddle. Their policies are utterly discredited. Their ideology - even by its own standards - is a sham. They are so bereft of leaders, their de facto leader is a former drug addicted, thrice-divorced radio talk show host. That is literally the best they can muster. But they have built a national franchise inciting the downwardly mobile to blame the government, not the right, for their problems, exactly as Hitler did in the 1920s."

Chicago View of Unity/UFT on Charters

After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings — though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.

Ed Notes Greatest Hits: HSA Rally and Founding of GEM

Angel Gonzalez and I attended that rally and used the footage to promote our conference on Mar. 28, 2009, which is where the concept of a group like GEM emerged. Until then we had basically been a committee of ICE working with the NYCORE high stakes testing group. The actions of Eva and crew helped spawn GEM. Mommie Dearest!!

I have more video somewhere. I was hoping to get Leni Riefenstahl to edit it but she died. We would have called it "Triumph of the Hedge Fund Operators."

Video of Chicago's George Schmidt and CORE Shredding Arne Duncan and the Chicago Corporate Model

Great Post on Teacher Quality at the Morton School

I'm very tired of the myth that schools are bursting at the seams with apathetic, unskilled, surly, child-hating losers who can't get jobs doing anything else. I recently figured that, counting high school and college where one encounters many teachers in the course of a year, I had well over 100 teachers in my lifetime, and I can only say that one or two truly had no place being in a classroom.